PARIS: Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, who was president from 2007-2012, began serving a 5-year prison sentence in a small cell of La Santé prison’s isolation wing here on Tuesday (21st Oct, 2025).
Sarkozy, who is the first ex-president of (modern) France to go behind bars, has appealed against his jail term. He rejected the case involving millions of Euros and termed it as politically motivated: “What happened today… is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system. If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high.”
Taking to X Nicolas Sarkozy stated: “I have no doubt. Truth will prevail. But how crushing the price will have been. With unwavering strength I tell [the French people] it is not a former president they are locking up this morning – it is an innocent man. Do not feel sorry for me because my wife and my children are by my side… but this morning I feel deep sorrow for a France humiliated by a will for revenge.”
Nicolas Sarkozy had been found guilty of using funds provided by murdered Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to finance his election campaign of 2007 and has been sentenced to five years in gaol. The court in its 25th September ruling maintained that he used his position, to prepare corruption at the highest level from 2005 to 2007, to finance his presidential campaign with funds from Moammar Gaddafi.
According to prosecution, Sarkozy, in return, had promised to assist Gaddafi combat his reputation with Western countries. Meanwhile, the criminal court here had acquitted the former president of all other charges. Nevertheless, he has been ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 Euros. Sarkozy will be able to file a request for release to the appeals court only once behind bars.
PARIS: Sarkozy walked out of his Paris villa with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, from where he was taken to La Santé prison.
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Newspakistan.tv
